Sanmar delivers tugboat to Port Taranaki, New Zealand
Kinaki is the first of the Sanmar Delicay tug series and the tug is currently on its way by heavy lift ship to New Zealand from the builder’s Turkish yard, the company said in its press release. Built by Sanmar to the innovative TRAktor-Z 2500 SX (Sanmar eXclusive) design by Robert Allan Limited, the tugboat also has considerable technical input from the builder. However, unlike the more common ASD configuration, this series has forward mounted Z-drives in tractor format designed for maximum efficiency in both harbour, ship-handling and towing duties.
Built to ABS certification and New Zealand flag requirements, the new vessel is being shipped to its new owner, Port Taranaki Ltd, located on the west coast of North Island, New Zealand.
The flexibility of this brand new design allows for a series of options to be added or deducted based on individual owner requirements. The Delicay series can be supplied with either 60 tonnes or 70 tonnes bollard pull – Kinaki is equipped with the lower power option at 60 tonnes to meet this customer’s particular requiremnts. A 70 tonne bollard pull version of this model is also very close to completion enabling any interested operator to take advantage of an exceptionally quick delivery.
Measuring 25.3m overall with a beam of 12m and maximum draft of 6.1m; the first of the new series is powered by a pair of 3512CTier II Caterpillar engines, each developing 1902kW at 1,800 rev/min. These turn Rolls Royce Z-drive azimuthing thrusters with 2,500mm diameter propellers to give a trials performance of 62 tonnes bollard pull ahead and a free-running speed of 11 knots. A main engine driven Fi Fi system from FFS of 1400m3/hr is fitted but full FiFi1 can be incorporated if required. Twin Caterpillar C4.4 generator sets are installed.
Port Taranaki is at the centre of New Zealand’s petrochemical industry and is primarily an export port for methanol and other petrochemical products as well as import of dry bulk product supporting the local agricultural sector. Up until the arrival of Kinaki, its tug complement comprised there tractors.